With unemployment levels rising and many employers cutting work hours, large numbers of college grads are now struggling to meet their student loan payments. Thankfully, the federal government has passed legislation to help ease this burden. However, many borrowers are confused about the terms and conditions of these changes. Here’s all you need to know about changes to student loan debt due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All federal student loan payments are automatically suspended for six months.

As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) signed into law on March 27, 2020 – all federal student loan payments are suspended, interest-free. If borrowers continue making payments, the full amount will be applied to the principal of the loan. The suspension applies to all federal student loans owned by the Department of Education, some Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), as well as some Perkins Loans. Students do not have to take any action or pay any fees for the suspension to take effect.

Additionally, during the suspension period, the CARES Act does not allow student loan servicers to report non-payments as missed payments to the credit bureaus. Therefore, the suspension should not have a negative effect on borrowers’ credit scores.

If you’re not sure whether your student loan is federally owned, you can look it up on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website. Be sure to have your FSA ID handy so you can sign in and look up your loan. You can also call your loan servicer directly as well.

Contact information for federal student loan servicers:

CornerStone: 1-800-663-1662

FedLoan Servicing (PHEAA): 1-800-699-2908

Granite State (GSMR): 1-888-556-0022

Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc.: 1-800-236-4300

HESC/Edfinancial: 1-855-337-6884

MOHELA: 1-888-866-4352

Navient: 1-800-722-1300

Nelnet: 1-888-486-4722

OSLA Servicing: 1-866-264-9762

ECSI: 1-866-313-3793

Suspended payments count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Loan Rehabilitation. 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is a federal program allowing borrowers to have their student loans forgiven, tax-free – with the stipulation that they work in the public sector and make 120 qualifying monthly payments. A disruption of these 120 payments would typically disqualify a borrower from the program. According to the CARES Act, suspended payments will be treated as regular payments toward PSLF. This ensures that borrowers who have been working toward these programs will not lose the progress they’ve made toward loan forgiveness.

The same rule applies to individuals participating in Student Loan Rehabilitation, during which borrowers who have defaulted on student loans – must make 9 out of 10 consecutive monthly payments in order to bring their loans out of default. The U.S. Department of Education will consider the six-month suspension on payments as if regular payments were being made toward rehabilitation.

Some states and private lenders are offering student loan aid for struggling borrowers.

If your student loan is not federally owned and you are struggling to make your payments, there may still be options available – such as loan deferment or forbearance. If you are in need of such assistance, contact your lender directly to discuss your options.

Consider an income-driven repayment plan.

If you have an FFEL that is ineligible for suspension, you may be able to lower your monthly payments by enrolling in an income-based repayment plan. This would adjust your monthly student loan payment amount according to your discretionary income. If your salary was cut as a result of COVID-19, or you are currently unemployed – these plans can provide relief by making your monthly payments more manageable.

Still have questions about your student loan payments during this time? It’s always a good idea to reach out to your lender and find out what options are available to you.

Article Source: CUcontent.com